Romeo & juliet Marketing Pack

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MARKETING Pack

description

Updated for 2011 tour

Transcript of Romeo & juliet Marketing Pack

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MARKETINGPack

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PILOT THEATRE

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CONTENTS

...................................................................................................................Introduction 3.......................................................................................................................Synopsis 4

............................................................................................................Director’s Vision 5.........................................................................................................Meet the designer 6

.......................................................................................................Cast Biographies 7-8

................................................................................................Creative Biographies 9-10...................................................................................................................Tour Dates 11

........................................................................................................Box Office Notes 12 ......................................................................................................Sample Direct Mail 13

...........................................................................................Sample Press Release 14-15

..........................................................................................Sample Schools Letter 16-17......................................................................................................................Reviews 18

.......................................................................................................Contact the Pilots 19

Photography by Karl Andre Photography

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Research Images: Messages left at Juliet’s house in Verona.

Pilot Theatre in association with York Theatre Royal present Romeo and Juliet by William ShakespeareA Love story for the 21st Century

Opens York Theatre Royal September 10 – 25 2010 Tours nationally to April 2011

Directed by Marcus Romer and Katie Posner Designed by Chloe Lamford Composed by Sandy Nuttgens

These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consumeAward winning company Pilot Theatre, (Lord of the Flies, Looking for JJ), present their new vibrant production of Shakespeare’s timeless tale of star crossed lovers. A story of dangerous rivalries and secret loves here vividly brought to life in a fast moving and contemporary telling of this celebrated story.A community split by its differences, a young girl rebelling against her parents’ expectations, knife crime and gang violence, Romeo and Juliet is a story with striking relevance to today’s young audiences.With stunning visuals and cutting edge soundtrack, this production will inspire and enthuse audiences of all ages with its exuberance, poetry and thrilling action.

This Marketing Pack provides a comprehensive guide to the production, with interviews, cast and creative details and selling points to help you promote Romeo & Juliet.

Introduction

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The Capulets and the Montagues, two noble families in Verona, Italy, have been fighting. The Prince declares that their next public brawl will be punished by death.

Romeo - a Montague - is being cheered up by his cousin Benvolio. Romeo is in love with a woman named Rosaline, but she’s not interested. Meanwhile, Paris is interested in Juliet and goes to her father to ask for her hand in marriage. Old Capulet says she is still too young. Romeo and Benvolio are accidentally invited to a party at the Capulet’s house. Benvolio convinces Romeo to go, because Rosaline will be there.

At the party, Romeo notices a girl named Juliet. They instantly fall in love, but they do not realise that their families are mortal enemies until after the party. Romeo sneaks into Juliet’s orchard and proclaims his love for her. She says she loves him too and they decide to marry. The next day, Romeo and Juliet are married by Friar Lawrence; witnessed by Juliet’s Nurse. They plan to meet in Juliet’s room that night.

Romeo visits his best friend Mercutio and his cousin Benvolio but his good mood is cut short when Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, starts a row with Romeo, which soon turns into a duel with Mercutio. Romeo tries to stop the fight but it is too late: Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo, retaliates by killing Tybalt. Once Romeo realises the consequences of his actions, he hides at Friar Lawrence’s cell.

Friar Lawrence informs Romeo that he has been banished from Verona and will be killed if he stays any longer. The Friar suggests Romeo spend the night with Juliet, then leave for Mantua in the morning. He tells Romeo that he will attempt to settle the Capulet and Montague dispute so Romeo can later return to a united family. Romeo takes his advice, spending one night with Juliet before fleeing Verona.

Juliet is heartbroken and her family think she is mourning for her cousin Tybalt. Her mother, unaware of Juliet's secret marriage, insists she should marry Paris in a few days. Juliet refuses. Juliet asks Friar Lawrence for advice, insisting she would rather die than marry Paris. The Friar gives Juliet a potion which will make her appear dead and tells her to take it the night before the wedding. He promises to

send a letter to Romeo - intending that the two lovers be reunited in the Capulet vault.

Juliet drinks the potion and everybody assumes that she is dead. Romeo hears this. Friar Lawrence’s letter fails to reach Romeo, so he has no reason to disbelieve the news. He rushes to Juliet’s tomb, encounters Paris mourning there, kills him, finds Juliet and, in deep grief, drinks a vial of poison.

Moments later, Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead and kills herself due to grief. Once the families discover what happened, they finally end their bitter feud.

For a more detailed breakdown of each Act go to:http://youkissbythebook.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/synopsis/

For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo

Synopsis

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Director’s VisionAn exclusive interview with Marcus Romer

Pilot’s production of Romeo and Juliet is still in its pre-production phase. Rehearsals are some weeks in the future, there is no cast, no set, just ideas. We catch up with director Marcus Romer to find out what his thoughts are about this brand new production of one of the oldest and best known plays in the English language.

Why is it relevant for young people to see Romeo and Juliet?

We want to give young people a voice and this is essentially a story about young people: it’s a story about first love and about how love takes over your entire world and about the conflicts that surround all that. There’s that feeling, when things are happening for the first time, and it feels like no one else has gone through this before, and Romeo and Juliet tells the story of that time in your life. It’s also about rivalry and peer pressure, parents, gangs, groups and divisions - all these things that haven’t gone away.

It’s still early days, but what do you imagine the show will look like?

We’re working with Chloe Lamford on an innovative design which will be a new style for us and I’m very excited about it. We’re focusing on something very current, the online memorial sites that have sprung up recently both on Facebook and also on sites such as www.gonetoosoonorg where we remember loved ones who have died. We also wanted to look at the habit of laying flowers which has been part of our culture since Princess Diana’s death. Before that, it was something you saw more often in Europe or South America, but now, at every place where someone has died, there are public floral tributes. I have an idea that the audience, arriving at the theatre will see a bunch of flowers attached to the wall and there will be a small note on it which reads: ‘I love you - eternity’. When people come into the auditorium, they’ll see more floral tributes to a young person who has died. It’s where people have chosen to come, to this focal point in the community, to pay their respects. We want to capture that sense of laying of flowers at a school or the place where the dead person lived and how that has replaced the sense of the church being the focal point. In our case the stage is the empty space where something has happened and it is Mercutio’s memorial we are looking at. His is the first death, which triggers the others. You’re catching me at the very beginning of the process, but what we’re looking at is something beautiful, frail and stunning, which also has a resonance to our lives now.

Follow the company at www.youkissbythebook.comand on twitter through #kissbythebook

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Meet the DesignerWhen did you first realise you wanted to work in theatre design?

Well, I had a bit of an unusual childhood as both my parents worked in dance, and we traveled a lot – I saw a lot of theatre from a very young age, and was always around performers, lighting designers, etc – I thought about being a dancer right up until my A-levels, but decided that I wanted to make things instead – and designing plays – creating magic little worlds from models, sitting in the dark watching theatre come to life, imagining how things could look would be infinitely more rewarding than breaking my back and ruining my feet! So I chose to make theatre instead. Plus I

was really geeky and into miniatures and dolls houses when I was a kid, so that really helped!

You have an impressive portfolio of work, which includes theatre, opera and dance, but do you have a favourite medium to design for?

I started off doing a huge mixture of things – I think its good after college to do that – I used to work on a lot of film and music promos too, which I have found I have really left behind. I think that really it’s between theatre and opera for me. Opera completely stretches the imagination, and design muscles – there are bigger budgets and more scope to do something really adventurous – but it’s hard work! I think that

my home is with theatre, long term – I love working on new writing, with writers and unusual spaces. I am really keen on working in non-theatre spaces too. Yeah, theatre. I think. And a bit of opera.

Do you have a process that you work through when beginning a new project, or does it change depending on the piece?

My process changes quite a lot – it’s totally different, for example with opera, than theatre – opera is all about quite in depth research and planning as the director and designer really create the whole production in the model box and pretty much plan every minute of the piece. Theatre is much freer than that, and decisions can be left much later on. It also depends on the director I work with, some directors love to be really involved in the design decisions, some want me to go away and

create something and bring back a suggestion. But mainly the process starts with lots of talking about the piece and daydreaming about what kind of ‘world’ the play needs.

The first talks that I have with a director are the most exciting – when you talk about the play/opera and throw around ideas – that’s my

favourite part, and then I go on a sort of research journey, finding inspiring images, art installations, films, photographs – trying to map out my ideas with research. Obviously if the piece is in another time period, then that means a lot of research in addition to the more abstract, imaginative stuff.

This is your first time working with Pilot Theatre, how did you first here of the Company?

I first heard of Pilot years ago when I first started designing – I heard about the amazing production of Lord of the Flies when I was working on a youth theatre version of the play. Then a few years ago, my partner was an actor in Sing Your Heart out for the Lads and I got to know Pilot more properly!

Chloe Lamford

Chloe Lamford

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Cast Biographies

Theatre credits include: Macbeth, Feelgood Theatre Company; Yellow Doctress, Beauty & the Beast, and How

High Is Up? West Yorkshire Playhouse; The Lion and the Jewel, Barbican Theatre Pit; The Man Who Was Buried Alive by His Mother, Contact Theatre; Trojan Woman and Yerma, Chipping Norton Theatre & Tour; Bad Hand, Birmingham Rep; Sense of Belonging, Arcola Theatre & Green Room; The Snow Queen, Bolton Octagon; Toad of Toad Hall and A Christmas Carol, New Victoria Stoke; A Christmas Carol, The Lawrence Batley Theatre; Ripples, M6 Theatre; Zumbie, Black Theatre Cooperative; Trouble Under Foot, Northern Stage; Search For Odysseus, Made in Wales Theatre Company; Grapes of Wrath, 7.84 Theatre Company; Desert Story, TAG Theatre Company; Gingerbread Man, Sheffield Crucible; Motherland and Wicked Women, Oval House Theatre, & RNT Cottlesloe.

Bryn graduated from LIPA in 2008. Since then, his theatre credits

include: The Mystery of Jack and the Clones of Chaos, Pilot Theatre Company; The Severn ages of Poetry, Royal Shakespeare Company; Echoes, Liverpool Everyman; Les Miserables le Panto, UK Tour – Oddsocks Productions; Language of the Skies, Wigan Literary Festival; Little Hope, Adventures of Pinocchio and The Tempest, The Point Theatre, Eastleigh.

Bryn was nominted for the Spotlight award in 2008 and is delighted to be returning to Pilot Theatre for this production of Romeo and Juliet.

Louisa EyoNurse

Bryn HoldingBenvolio

Richard James-Neale

Chris LindonMercutio/Paris

Richard graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre in 2006 with first class honours. He was nominated for the 2006

Spotlight Prize and was a commended finalist in the 2006 BBC Carlton Hobbs Competition.

Theatre credits include: Othello, Frantic Assembly; Pygmalion, Old Vic;  A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, UK & International tour; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Comedy Of Errors, Ludlow Castle; Thickness Of Skin, Chelsea Theatre; The Threepenny Opera, Lyric Hammersmith; Murder In The Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral & Westminster Cathedral.

Richard also took part in the 24 Hour Plays: Red Bull Sessions at The Tabard Theatre.

Theatre credits include: Visiting Grandad, Tutti Fruitti/York Theatre Royal; The Snow Queen, West Yorkshire

Playhouse; The Emperor’s New Clothes, Channel Theatre Co.; Stormbringer, Avanti Display; The Garden in Winter & King of the Castle, M6 Theatre Co.; Peter Pan, Proteus Theatre Company; Once Upon A Time in Wigan, Urban Expansions Theatre Co; Scorcher, Action Transport Theatre Co.

TV & Film credits include: Star Struck, BBC/North West Vision; Heartbeat, Yorkshire Television; Ideal, BBC/Babycow Productions; No-one forgets a Bad Teacher, Two Bob Films.

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Mary RoseLady Capulet

Rachel SpicerJuliet

Theatre includes: Dracula, Proteus Theatre Company; The Seagull, Royal Court and Broadway; Bullet Shaped Heart, Greenwich Theatre; Kane,

Theatre 503 – Reading; Beauty & the Beast and The Wedding Present, Proteus Theatre Company; Thin Toes, Hampstead Theatre – Start Night; The Cut, The Old Vic/St Mungo’s; Macbeth, New Wolsey, Ipswich; A Place at the Table, Pleasance; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Salisbury Playhouse; Fortune’s Fool, Chichester Festival Theatre; and Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Watermill Theatre.

Rachel is thrilled to be working on Pilot Theatre Company’s production of Romeo & Juliet and to be a part of its wonderful cast. For someone

who’s just graduated from drama school, it’s a dream job and role. Since graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art this past July, Rachel has played the lead role in two short films and worked on a yogurt commercial. Prior to drama school, Rachel was very active in her local theatre community and juggled finishing school with a handful of parts in television and made for TV movies. Rachel thinks of herself as a level-headed girl, but thoroughly delights in the drama of falling in love and dying every night for the duration of the run (and sometimes twice a day with matinees).

William TravisCapulet

Oliver WilsonRomeo

Theatre credits include: Quixotry – JB Shorts, Real Life Theatre; The Owl and the Pussycat, Fools Gold Theatre;

Stapleton in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Found Theatre; Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Fools Gold Theatre; The Lie, King’s Head Theatre; Of Mice and Men, Midsommer Actors.

William can be seen this autumn as Mr. Squires in This Is England 1986, Warp Films. Other credits include: Doctors, BBC; Coronation Street, ITV; Christmas at the Riviera, Carnival Films; Casualty, BBC; Shameless, Red Productions; Torchwood, BBC; Sorted, BBC; Dalziel and Pascoe, BBC; The Street, Red Productions; Holby City, BBC; No Angels, World Prods; Between The Sheets, Rollem Prods.

He played the regular role of Dick Lampard in Where The Heart Is for 6 years.

Oliver graduated from East 15 in 2008.

His theatre work includes: To Kill A Mocking Bird at Theatr Clwyd and on tour; All’s Well That Ends Well at the National Theatre, The RSC Poetry Festival at Stratford and London, Much Ado About Nothing for Derby Live and This Child for Pilot Theatre Company at the Albany Empire and Theatre Royal York.

Roles during training include: Bergman in Redevelopment; Ned Ludd in The Machine Breakers; Loveless in The Relapse. Oliver has also taken part in an RSC workshop on Henry V and has appeared in a drink-driving advert.

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Creative Biographies

Marcus is the Artistic Director of Pilot Theatre, his production of Lord of the Flies has received a TMA award nomination and won a Manchester Evening News award. His co-production of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing with the Octagon Theatre, Bolton won two M.E.N. Awards in 2005. He has directed Looking for JJ, by Anne Cassidy, which won the TMA award for best production for young people 2008 as well as Sing yer heart out for the lads by Roy Williams, Road,TheBeautyQueenof Leenane, Bloodtide, ASL, Look back in Anger and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. In March 2010 Marcus was invited to direct WC School for Atina Theatre in Argentina, a show which later transferred to York Theatre Royal.Marcus attended the TED conference in California in 2007 and on his return created the Shift Happens conferences that have run for the past three years at York Theatre Royal. He has also been invited to attend the 2011 TED conference .Marcus is a published playwright. He adapted and directed Rumble Fish, Bloodtide, Looking for JJ and Fungus the Bogeyman. He is currently adapting the screenplay The Knife That Killed Me for Green Screen productions.

Katie is the Associate Director of Pilot Theatre.This year she has directed ‘A State of Innocence’ and ‘Between this Breath and You’ from The Fever Chart by Naomi Wallace, Jack and the Mystery of the Clones of Chaos by Richard Hurford, Just by Ali Smith, and most recently she has co- directed The Wind in the Willows, a new adaptation by Mike Kenny for York Theatre Royal. Prior to this she worked with Pilot on their showsFungustheBogeymanand Lord of the Flies as Tour and Staff Director.Before joining Pilot Katie directed a variety of shows. The Bang Gang by Lee Mattinson for Northumberland Theatre Company. My Funny Valentine for Live Theatre. The Government Inspector Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations, Gizmo, Fantastic Mr Fox all for JAM Theatre as well as The BFG for Aylesbury Theatre’s Roald Dahl Festival.She is an experienced actress, practitioner and educator having course led Drama and Theatre Studies A-Level and National Diploma Acting. She has also collaboratively written two BTEC study guides which are used nationally by schools and colleges.

Chloe Lamford trained in Theatre Design at Wimbledon School of Art. She won Best Design at the 2007 TMA awards for her design for Small Miracle by Neil D’Souza.Chloe’s designs for theatre include: Ghost Story (Sky Arts) written and directed by Mark Ravenhill, My Romantic History (Sheffield Crucible and The Bush Theatre), Joseph K. and The Kreutzer Sonata (Gate Theatre), Songs From A Hotel Bedroom (Linbury Studio ROH and Tour), Sus (Young Vic), It Felt Empty...(CleanBreak,installation/ Arcola’s Studio K), Everything Must Go! (Soho Theatre), This Wide Night (Soho Theatre), The Mother Ship, How To Tell The Monsters From The Misfits (Birmingham Rep), Blithe Spirit (Watermill Theatre), The Snow Queen (Sherman Theatre, Cardiff); Antigone at Hell’s Mouth (Kneehigh Theatre/ NYT); Silence, (NYT); Lola (Trestle Theatre); Small Miracle (Tricycle Theatre and Mercury Theatre).Her designs for opera include: The Magic Flute (ETO), War and Peace (Scottish Opera and RSAMD), The Cunning Little Vixen (RCM), La Calisto (Early Opera Company)Chloe has also designed various music videos, as well as The Full Monteverdi, an opera feature film by Polyphonic Films and various short films.

Marcus RomerCo-Director

Chloe LamfordDesigner

Katie PosnerCo-Director

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Richard’s recent productions include: Single Spies, Heroes (Watermill Theatre); The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Arts Ed); Ghost Office (NYT); Tattoo & Colors (Tristan Bates); I was A Beautiful Day (Tron Theatre); Wild Horses, Peter and Vandy (Theatre 503); The Magic Flute (Royal College of Music);Sleeping Beauty (Swindon); Opera Scenes (Guildhall School of Music and Drama); Wolves at the Window (Brits Off Broadway, New York) and the forthcoming Les Parents Terribles (Donmar Warehouse season at the Trafalgar Studios).Other theatre credits include: This Much is True, Mimi and the Stalker, Natural Selection, I am a Superhero (Theatre 503); Angry Young Man (Trafalgar 2); The Car Cemetery (Gate); The Shawl, The Savage, The Collector, The Four Seasons, Anatol (Arcola); Sense, Plasticine (Southwark); Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing (Ripley Castle).Richard re-lit the UK tour of Zorro! the musical and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Merchant of Venice on UK and international tour for Edward Hall’s Propeller company.

Sandy has written numerous scores for award winning TV dramas and documentaries.Commissions have included: BBC2’s Terry Jones Barbarians and Ch4’s The Queen in 3D both of which won RTS award’s for Best Music Score, The Blue Tower which won Best Feature Film at Raindance, CITV’s top rated My Parents Are Aliens, C4’s The Rise and Fall of Tony Blair, The Execution of Gary Glitter, Edward VII Prince of Pleasure, Bare Knuckle Boxer, Victorias Men, Who Killed Thomas Becket and Agincourt.Past work with Pilot includes IIFA Awards, Lord of The Flies, Bloodtide, Road and Rumblefish.Other work includes writing specially commissioned new music for Walk The Plank/ Tate Liverpool for their Art On The Waterfront events.Website: www.nuttgens.com.

Philip is a member of the Equity Register of Fight Directors, and of the teaching and examining staff of the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat.He has worked throughout Europe and America, alongside his regular teaching commitments for RADA, Drama Studio London and other drama schools and universities.Amongst other venues, his fights have been performed at the Royal Opera House, the Coliseum (for English National Opera), the Theatre Royal Haymarket and they have toured the United States, Europe and the Caribbean.Recent projects include: Ariodante (Oviedo, Spain); Julius Caesar (RSC, Stratford) and Carrie’s War (Apollo Theatre).Future projects include: Henry IV pts 1 & 2 (Shakespeare’s Globe).

Richard HowellLighting Designer

Sandy NuttgensComposer

Philip D’OrleansFight Director

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TOUR DATES 2010/2011TOUR DATES 2010/2011

Autumn 2010

York Theatre Royal – Fri 10 – Sat 25 Sep

Yeovil, Octagon Theatre – Tue 28 Sep – Sat 2 Oct

Stirling, Macroberts – Tue 5 – Sat 9 Oct

Jersey Opera House – Tue 12 – Sat 16 Oct

Winchester, Theatre Royal – Tue 19 to Sat 23 Oct

Muselburgh, Brunton Theatre - Wed 26 – Fri 29 Oct

Poole, Lighthouse – Tue 2 – Sat 6 Nov

Oxford Playhouse – Tue 9 – Sat 13 Nov

Aberystwyth, Arts Centre – Tue 16 – Sat 20 Nov

Swansea, Taliesin Theatre – Tue 23 – Sat 27 Nov

Spring 2011

London, Unicorn Theatre – Wed 2 – Sat 12 Feb

Shrewsbury, Theatre Severn – Tue 15 – Sat 19 Feb

Leicester, Curve Theatre – Tue 1 – Sat 12 Mar

Nottingham, Lakeside – Tue 22 – Sat 26 Mar

Newbury, Corn Exchange – Mon 28 – Thur 31 Mar

Buxton Opera House – Tue 5 – Sat 9 Apr

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Title: Romeo & JulietProducers: Pilot Theatre & York Theatre Royal

Writer: William ShakespeareDirectors: Marcus Romer & Katie PosnerAss. Director: Tom Bellerby

Designer: Chloe LamfordLighting: Richard Howell

Composer: Sandy NuttgensDramaturge: Juliet ForsterFight Director: Philip D’Orleans

Cast: Louisa Eyo Bryn Holding

Richard James-Neale Chris Lindon Mary Rose

Rachel Spicer William Travis

Oliver Wilson

Running Time: 1hr first act 20min interval 1hr second act = 2hr 20mins

Selling Point: Fast paced action with detailed fight scenes

New musical score, composed for the show Cast of young enthusiastic actors, creating a modern love story for the 21st Century Over 6000 silk flowers make up the set

Pilot Theatre’s reputation for producing exciting and accessible work for younger audiences Set and costume design by TMA award-winner Chloe Lamford

Strong educational resources available to accompany the show Rachel Spicer’s professional debut

Box Office Notes

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Sample Direct Mail

Dear friend,

These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,

Which as they kiss consume…

Pilot Theatre company and York Theatre Royal have come together once more to create an exciting co-production of Romeo and Juliet.

This celebrated story of dangerous rivalries and secret loves will be brought to life in a fast moving and contemporary telling of the tale, with stunning visuals and cutting edge soundtrack especially commissioned for the show.

Designer Chloe Lamford (winner of Best Set Design at the 2007 TMA Awards) has created a contemporary set for our 21st Century love story to take place, filled with over 600 bunches of flowers.

Romeo will be played by Oliver Wilson, who returns to Pilot having gained rave reviews in This Child in 2008. Rachel Spicer will be making her professional debut as Juliet, after graduating from RADA this summer.

Follow the entire process of this production from first design concepts to meeting the backstage crew and cast at our dedicated website www.youkissbythebook.com

Romeo and Juliet will premiere at York Theatre Royal from 10 to 25 Sept. To be the first to see this production, give the Box Office a call on 01904 623568 or book securely online at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Tickets are £10 - £20, £7 Students & u25s.

Hope to see you there!

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Sample Press ReleaseDate: *******

Issue No: 1

Immediate Release

A Love Story for the 21st CenturyRomeo & Juliet

These violent delights have violent endsAnd in their triumph die, like fire and powder,Which as they kiss consume

York based company Pilot Theatre are back on the road in 2011 with their brand new

adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. A co-production with York Theatre Royal the show will arrive

at [enter venue and dates].

Known for creating work that engages younger audiences, Pilot Theatre’s version of

Shakespeare’s classic love story will be a vibrant production with stunning visuals and a cutting

edge soundtrack especially commissioned for the show. This celebrated story of dangerous

rivalries and secret loves will be brought to life in a fast moving and contemporary telling of the tale

which will enthuse audiences with its exuberance, poetry and thrilling action.

“As a company dedicated to reinterpreting classic work for young people, Pilot can be depended upon to apply a fresh perspective.” The Guardian

With a contemporary set filled with over 3000 flowers, designer Chloe Lamford (winner of Best Set

Design at the 2007 TMA Awards) has created a world for our 21st century love story to take place.

Oliver Wilson, who returns to Pilot having performed in This Child in 2008, will play the role of

Romeo. His Juliet is Rachel Spicer, a recent graduate from RADA.

As with all Pilot Theatre shows there are lots of opportunities to get involved with the production

from a range of online networks, including its own website www.youkissbythebook.com where we

have been tracking the whole process of creating a new piece of work. You can see the first design

concepts, meet the designers, backstage crew and cast. Join in the debate on twitter too by

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following #kissbythebook and get to know both directors Marcus Romer and Katie Posner through

their personal blogs on posterous.com.

To book your tickets [insert booking options]

Ends

Editor’s Notes:

Cast: Rachel Spicer JulietOliver Wilson RomeoChris Lindon MercutioRichard James-Neale Tybalt/Friar LawrenceBryn Holding BenvolioMary Rose Lady CapuletWilliam Travis CapuletLouisa Eyo Nurse/Prince

Creatives:Directors Marcus Romer

Katie PosnerDramaturg Juliet ForsterDesigner Chloe LamfordLighting Richard HowellDesigner Composer Sandy Nuttgens

Tour Dates:York Theatre Royal – Fri 10 – Sat 25 SepYeovil, Octagon Theatre – Tue 28 Sep – Sat 2 OctStirling, Mac Roberts – Tue 5 – Sat 9 OctJersey Opera House – Tue 12 – Sat 16 OctWinchester, Theatre Royal – Tue 19 to Sat 23 OctMussellburgh, Brunton Theatre - Tue 28 – Sat 30 OctPoole, Lighthouse – Tue 2 – Sat 6 NovOxford Playhouse – Tue 9 – Sat 13 NovAberystwyth, Arts Centre – Tue 16 – Sat 20 NovSwansea, Tallesin Theatre – Tue 23 – Sat 27 NovLondon, Unicorn Theatre – Tue 1 – Sat 12 FebShrewsbury, Theatre Severn – Tue 15 – Sat 19 FebLeicester, Curve Theatre – Tue 1 – Sat 12 MarTheatre Royal Wakefield - Tue 15 - Sat 19 Mar Nottingham, Lakeside – Tue 22 – Sat 26 MarNewbury, Corn Exchange - Mon 28 - Thu 31 MarBuxton Opera House – Tue 5 – Sat 9 Apr

Contact:Rebecca StoreyPress and Media ManagerPilot [email protected] 07843393962Office: 01904 635755

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Sample Schools LetterPilot Theatre in association with York Theatre Royal present

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

A Love story for the 21st Century

youkissbythebook.com

Opens

Tours nationally until April 2011

Directed by Marcus Romer and Katie PosnerDesigned by Chloe LamfordComposed by Sandy Nuttgens

These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,Which as they kiss consume

Award winning company Pilot Theatre, (Lord of the Flies, Looking for JJ), present their new vibrant production of Shakespeare’s timeless tale of star crossed lovers. A story of dangerous rivalries and secret loves here vividly brought to life in a fast moving and contemporary telling of this celebrated story.

A community split by its differences, a young girl rebelling against her parents’ expectations, knife crime and gang violence, Romeo and Juliet is a story with striking relevance to today’s young audiences.

With stunning visuals and cutting edge soundtrack, this production will inspire and enthuse audiences of all ages with its exuberance, poetry and thrilling action.

Tickets: Box Office

Book online

School groups £

Pilot Theatre offer lots of opportunities to be involved with the production from a range of online educational resources to practical workshops for both teachers and students as well as talks at the theatre. Further information and how to book for these is on the next sheet.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Activities for Teachers and Students

To book any workshop below please mail [email protected] or phone the Pilot Office on 01904 635755

Teachers’ Workshop - July 15th 2010 10.00am – 3.30pm

An active day-long course designed to provide teachers with the necessary skills and confidence to deliver effective practical approaches to teaching Romeo and Juliet KS3 - 5. Using practical exercises based on rehearsal room practice, we will explore plot, characters, themes and text. Led by York Theatre Royal’s Associate Director Juliet Forster. Cost to cover Refreshments and lunch: £20 Schools Workshops

Rehearsal days (Drama and Theatre Studies GCSE and A Level) A choice of 2 practical, rehearsal based approaches to Romeo and Juliet

• A full day giving students the opportunity to experience working as a group of actors with a Pilot Director focusing on key scenes to explore a range of characters and themes and culminating in a presentation of their work at the end of the day.

• Romeo and Juliet as a text for devising – using the play and the students’ response to the themes and characters as a starting point for devising the students own pieces.

Understanding Romeo and Juliet (Key Stages 3/4/5) English and Drama

• A practical and dramatic approach, using techniques which allow for a close exploration of text and language and/or characters and key themes and issues.

Costs: Half day £175 Full day £ 250 Up to 32 places per workshop

Post show talks with the Company will also be held; please contact the venue you are attending for dates/times.

Online youkissbythebook.com pilot-theatre.com

Our online educational resources will chart the progress of the production from ideas to performance with photos, video and audio clips including rehearsal footage and interviews with the creative team. Worksheets to print off and use in the classroom will link Pilot’s Romeo and Juliet to curriculum teaching and learning in English, Drama and Vocational Performing Arts subjects from Key Stage 2 to post 16.

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Reviews“Youth centred stories, vigorously and powerfully played.”

The Stage

“Much like Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film version, this is an ultramodern Romeo & Juliet, but theatrical rather than cinematic. Out go Pilot’s trademark multi-media flourishes; in comes traditional, flesh-and-blood, physical theatre strengths, allied to Sandy Nuttgens’s always appropriate music.”

York Press

“This is a stylish take on Shakespeare’s ever-popular tragedy. Pilot Theatre’s reputation for productions easy on-the-eye has been well-earned and they don’t disappoint with Romeo and Juliet.”

Yorkshire Post

“The interpretation has stuck very cleverly to the original text. Rather than refer to past interpretations they have acted purely under ‘sola scriptura’ and demonstrated how surprisingly modern the text is. With clever body language and deliverance the cast have given the text a raw and open interpretation.”

Live & Love York

“As a company dedicated to reinterpreting classic work for young people, Pilot can be depended upon to apply a fresh perspective.”

The Guardian

“This is one of the most powerful and thought-provoking performances of Romeo & Juliet I have ever seen - and certainly not one to be missed”

“A feast for the senses”

Jersey Evening Post

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Contact the Pilots Press & Media ManagerRebecca Storeyemail: [email protected]: 01904 635755mobile: 07843393962

AdministratorSarah Seddonemail: [email protected]: 01904 635755

Producer and for Education EnquiriesAmanda Smithemail: [email protected]: 01904 635755